Exile

Epilogue

Seven months later

"Hey Jerk, where do you want this?"

"How about up your....................."

A piercing whistle stopped Dean's response in his tracks as he looked over at Eileen as she removed her thumb and finger from her lips, "Boys, let's not fight, ok?"

Dean stuck his tongue out at her and muttered "Bitch" to his brother as he nudged him with his shoulder. Eileen laughed and shook her head. It was really good seeing the two men, relaxed and easygoing with each other.

Dean had never returned to the bunker. Barely a week after settling in Castiel's home, he had asked Sam to pack up his room and to send it on to him by courier. Sam did, giving his brother and Castiel a month before he sprung a visit on them. Their reunion was epic. Sam and Eileen stayed in the spare room that Dean never occupied, not even for one full night. Sam couldn't get over the difference, not just in his brother but in Castiel.

Sam had sat back and watched as the two men snarked and sassed each other like old times, but now it was interspersed with hand holding and soft touches and let's not forget the eye fucking, that was now even worse than ever. Sam had shaken his head, thinking that wasn't possible.

But they also looked ten years younger. Their eyes shined, their smiles were huge and they just looked damned happy. Sam was ecstatic to see it. At the age of 42, after being a soldier for 38 years, countless apocalypses, friends and family lost, lost loves, his brother was finally getting his peace with his soulmate. And Castiel was his soulmate, from the moment he rescued him from Hell, he was at Dean's side.

Dean was on cooking duty, while Sam and Eileen were setting the table, well tables, two of which had been borrowed from Sommer's house to accommodate the extra visitors they were expecting over the next week.

As Dean checked on the roast in the oven, his phone rang. When he saw it was Jody he answered with a "Are you here yet?"

Jody's laugh carried across the line, "Yes, Dean. We just arrived. I have to say, this motel is one of the nicer ones huh."

"Hey Hasselhoff, hope you made plenty of food, I'm starving," Claire's voice roared in the background and Dean couldn't help the grin on his face.

"She made it." Claire hadn't been sure she would.

"Yeah, she pulled up behind me around ten miles back. It's a real Christmas miracle," Jody deadpanned.

Dean snorted but he felt tears sting his eyes. Damn, he'd gotten really sappy in the last seven months, "Cas, is going to be so happy to see her. I didn't tell him, just in case she couldn't make it."

Jody lowered her voice, "According to Kaia, she burned rubber to get here, but we'll keep that between us."

"Awwwwwwwwww, do I have to?" Dean whined.

"Dean Winchester," Jody growled.

"I'll be good," Dean pouted, "When will you be ready? I can get Sam to drive over and you can follow him back."

"Give us an hour. Let us shower off the road and make ourselves pretty."

"You don't need an hour for that, Jody."

"Why Dean Winchester, you're making me blush. Whatever would Cas say?"

"Shudup" he said blushing himself, "Speaking of Cas, I have to pick him up soon. His car is on the fritz. See you soon."

He told Sam that the girls would be ready to be picked up in an hour and he was going to collect Cas from work. It was four days to Christmas and school was breaking up today for the holidays. Dean had begged and cajoled Jody, Donna, Claire and Kaia to come join them for Christmas. For once, they could do a real holiday celebration without any interruptions and have a conversation that wasn't about vampires, werewolves or demons.